ASCO 2026: The Breakthroughs Taking Shape Now

  • Major phase 3 data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting will highlight clinical breakthroughs across prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, and more, including trials that could shift standards of care and move powerful therapies earlier in the treatment sequence.
  • NSCLC is entering its next phase: “With studies like LIBRETTO-432 and HARMONi-6 trial, we’re building on what we already know works—moving targeted therapy earlier and making immunotherapy smarter—but the real question is how broadly we can apply these wins without waiting years for every single trial.” explains Dr. Balzas Halmos.
  • Prostate cancer: The PROTEUS trial may redefine surgery‑based prostate cancer management, with Dr. Eleni Efstathiou noting, “It addresses a very important unmet need … we will understand whether we can use hormonal manipulation in combination with radical prostatectomy.”
  • Multiple myeloma: Advances, especially in vivo CAR T and bispecific combinations, could reshape second‑line therapy, with Dr. Ehsan Malek calling in vivo CAR T “a total game changer … the earthquake in the CAR T world.”
  • Pancreatic cancer: Daraxonrasib results are among the most closely watched, as early data showed nearly doubled survival in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. “We also expect to see additional PAN‑KRAS inhibitor data that I’m excited about,” says Dr. Raed Al Rajabi.

With the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting just weeks away, the release of abstracts offers an early look at what could shape the future of cancer care.

SurvivorNet Connect reached out to more than 15 leading oncologists across the country to ask a simple question: what are you most interested in?

The answers reflect a field full of anticipation — a wide range of new data, from early-phase signals to long-awaited updates, and a sense that important shifts may be coming, even if it’s not yet clear where.

Below are the key themes and “ones to watch,” based on what doctors are most eager to hear, analyze, and make sense of.

Lung Cancer: Precision Moves Earlier, Immunotherapy Gets Smarter

LIBRETTO-432 (Adjuvant Selpercatinib in RET+ NSCLC)

Building on the success of ADAURA trial and ALINA trial, the LIBRETTO-432 study pushes precision medicine further into the post-surgical setting.  Dr. Balmas Halmos explains, “We’ve already seen how adjuvant targeted therapy can dramatically improve outcomes. The question now is whether that extends to RET.”

If positive, selpercatinib could set a new standard of care for resected stage IB–IIIA RET+ NSCLC.  But Halmos points to the bigger implication:  “Do we need to repeat this for every alteration—or can we start applying what we’ve learned across targets like ROS1 and NTRK?”

HARMONi-6 (Ivonescimab + Chemo vs. Tislelizumab + Chemo)

The HARMONi-6 trial study highlights the next wave of immunotherapy—bispecifics that hit both PD-1 and VEGF.

Halmos calls the current data landscape a “rollercoaster,” with early results already showing progression-free survival gains. Now, the focus shifts to overall survival. “That’s the endpoint that matters—for patients and for approvals.”

If positive, the study could reinforce a new strategy: combining immune activation with anti-angiogenic therapy in the frontline setting.

Still, he flags a key caveat: “We have to ask how representative this population is globally.”

Why It Matters

Across both studies, the direction is clear:

  • Targeted therapy moving earlier, into curative settings
  • Immunotherapy becoming more complex and potentially more effective
  • And a growing push to apply insights across biomarker groups faster

“The progress is real,” Halmos suggests—but so are the next questions.

PROTEUS: A Long-Standing Question Now Facing A Test

In high-risk localized prostate cancer, perioperative intensification has remained unresolved, but can adding systemic therapy around surgery improve long-term outcomes or will it simply add complexity without clear benefit?

The phase 3 PROTEUS trial tests that directly, evaluating apalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) before and after radical prostatectomy, with endpoints of pathological complete response (pCR) and metastasis-free survival.

“We’re going to hear the data from the trial. We’ll see if it’s positive or negative, but it addresses a very important unmet need,” says Dr. Eleni Efstathiou, a genitourinary oncologist at OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.

For clinicians, the question isn’t just whether endpoints are met, but whether the benefit is meaningful enough to change practice.

“We will understand whether we can use hormonal manipulation in combination with radical prostatectomy, which we have never shown in a phase three study,” she adds.

At ASCO, PROTEUS moves from hypothesis to data, and may finally clarify the role of perioperative intensification.

Multiple Myeloma: More Options With A Push For Less Toxic, More Accessible Care

Multiple myeloma is entering a new phase as CAR T-cell therapy and bispecific therapies move earlier, but the advances raise a key challenge: how to sequence them while improving tolerability and access.

Two phase 3 trials — MAJESTEC-3 (teclistamab + daratumumab) and CARTITUDE-4 (BCMA CAR T) — are expected to accelerate this shift, with data to be closely watched at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting.

At the same time, in vivo CAR T is generating excitement for its potential to simplify treatment.

“In vivo CAR T, that’s the earthquake in the CAR T world,” says Dr. Ehsan Malek, a medical oncologist at Roswell Park Cancer Center. 

But as options expand, the dilemma remains. Both approaches target BCMA, making sequencing critical.

“If you use a bispecific first, the response to a subsequent BCMA CAR T may be limited,” adds Dr. Al-Ola Abdallah, director of plasma cell disorders care at University of Kansas Health System. 

At ASCO, the focus will be on whether these therapies can be delivered more safely and to more patients. The options are growing, but the path forward remains unclear.

Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough Fuels Buzz

A potential breakthrough for pancreatic cancer is generating major excitement following the release of abstracts for the 2026 Meeting, driven by phase 3 data for daraxonrasib.

According to Revolution Medicines, the drug nearly doubled overall survival in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (13.2 vs 6.7 months), a result that, if confirmed, could mark a major advance.

The real test will be the release of the full data.

“I think the Revolution Medicines data will be presented in more detail. We also expect additional pan-KRAS inhibitor data,” says hematologist/oncologist Dr. Raed Al Rajabi of University of Kansas Health System. 

For clinicians, the focus shifts quickly to durability, safety, and whether the benefit can extend to earlier lines.

“We anticipate this will move earlier — not just daraxonrasib, but RAS inhibitors broadly,” says Dr. Anna Berkenbilt of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. 

Colorectal Cancer: Biomarker-Driven Combinations

In colorectal cancer, biomarker-driven combinations are also drawing attention heading into the meeting.

The phase 3 BREAKWATER study, which is evaluating a BRAF-targeted combination in the frontline setting, is expected to be part of that conversation.

Dr. Cathy Eng of Vanderbilt – Ingram Cancer Center, a co-author of the study, says the results are encouraging for a group of patients who have historically had very limited options.

Early findings suggest meaningful survival gains in BRAF-mutated disease. At ASCO, clinicians will be looking more closely at durability, subgroup benefit, and how quickly this approach should move into standard care.

What’s Next?

The momentum across oncology is unmistakable with more options, more precision, and more complexity in how care is delivered.

As we head into the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, the focus will be on turning that momentum into clarity through conversations that advance physician education and, most importantly, improve care for patients.

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